2005 Dubai World Cup Undercard Results

The Dubai World Cup isn't the only big race on the card. There were five other races for thoroughbreds worth at least $1 million each, most worth $2 million.

Elvstroem winning the 2005 Dubai Duty Free.

The Group 1 Dubai Duty Free featured older horses going 1777 meters (about 1 1/8 miles) on the turf for a $2 million purse. 10-1 chance Elvstroem led every step of the way under jockey Nash Rawiller, setting a slow early pace of 26.13 and 51.94 for the half and then kicking into gear in the straight to draw away by 2 3/4 lengths over 9-1 shot Whilly. The final time was 1:50.54 over the good-to-firm course. It was just a length back to Right Approach in third.

Winning trainer Tony Vasil said, "Great feeling to come all this way and have a win. He has a wonderful temperament and easy going, he takes it all in his stride. He has done Australia proud. We could look at the Lockinge Stakes in Britain in May and then perhaps Royal Ascot, we will take each race as it comes."

The $2 million Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen was for older sprinters going 1200 meters (about 6 furlongs) down the straight chute at Nad al Sheba. 7-2 second choice Saratoga County came from mid-pack to grab the lead at the 3/16 pole and easily held off 60-1 longshot Tropical Star by a length at the line, in 1:11.21. It was just a head back to 20-1 Botanical in third, and 1/2 a length more to 3-5 beaten favorite Pico Central in fourth. Jockey Alex Solis aboard the favorite lodged an objection against Javier Castellano aboard the winner for interference in the stretch, but the stewards disallowed the claim and the result stood.

Winning jockey Castellano said, "I waited for the right time to move. I always had a lot of confidence in this race." Winning trainer George Weaver said, "It doesn't get any better than this. It is a big, big feeling." Alex Solis said of his 3rd place finish aboard Pico Central, ""He didn't get a hold of the track. He kept switching leads and just wasn't himself today. Right at the quarter pole My Cousin Matt and the winner (Saratoga County) came in on me. It cost me a better place, but I couldn't win."

The Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic featured the distance horses, with a field of 11 going 2400 meters (about 1 1/2 miles) over the turf for a $2 million purse. 16-1 shot Phoenix Reach sat at the back of the pack early on, and then in the straight, jockey Martin Dwyer asked for run and got it, as he kicked into gear at the quarter pole and took over the lead inside the 1/8 pole to win by 2 lengths over the pacesetting 23-1 shot Razkalla. The final time was a slow 2:30.54. It was just a short head back to 70-1 shot Collier Hill in third, and half a length more to 8-5 beaten 8-5 favorite Greys Inn in fourth.

Winning jockey Martin Dwyer said, "I am over the moon, it was a great experience and come here and compete on world stage." Kerrin McEvoy, aboard the runner-up, said "Razkalla is a very genuine horse. From the good draw we had a nice position. I wound him up on the turn and he kept giving. He was beaten by a proven Group One horse in Phoenix Reach."

The $2 million U.A.E. Derby is the local prep for the classics in both Europe and America, with 3-year-olds going 1800 meters (about 1 1/8 miles) on the main track. However, Southern Hemisphere 4-year-olds are also allowed to enter. This race was meant to be a public workout for European juvenile champion Shamardal, who was Godolphin's main hope for the Kentucky Derby, but the 3-2 favorite stopped badly at the top of the stretch and finished ninth. 50-1 stablemate Blues and Royals raced in mid-pack down the backstretch, then grabbed the lead just outside the quarter pole and drew off to a commanding 12-length victory over Marenostrum in a time of 1:50.05. It was another length and a half back to another Godolphin entrant, 2-1 second choice Parole Board.

Godolphin racing manager Simon Crisford said, "We were surprised, we thought Shamardal would be the better horse tonight. Shamardal has not been ruled out (for the Kentucky Derby). You can forget what you saw tonight." Shamardal's jockey Frankie Dettori added, "He was too fresh and always going too fast. If he had have kept up that speed he would have been a motorbike not a racehorse. I just could never get him to relax and not surprisingly he didn't get home."

The Group 2 Godolphin Mile kicked off the thoroughbred stakes action, with twelve facing the starter in this $1 million event at 1600 meters (about 1 mile) on the main track. 8-5 favorite Grand Emporium stalked the early pace of 7-2 second choice Tsigane, took the lead with a quarter of a mile to go and held off 4-1 third choice Qais by 1 1/4 lengths at the line in a time of 1:37.78. It was just 1/2 a length more back to Tsigane in third.

Winning jockey Weichong Marwing said, "Everything went very smoothly. We thought he had a very good chance in this race." Pat Valenzuela, aboard third place finisher Tsigane said, "He ran a great race. He kind of fell asleep and put his head across the bars in the starting gate. So I had to shake him but then he got the lead and he ran really well. He is a nice horse and he will win the Shoemaker Mile."

The opening event of the evening was the $250,000 Dubai Kahayla Classic, a Group 1 event for Purebred Arabians going 2000 meters (about 1 1/4 miles) on the main track. Madjani and Djelmane duked it out on the front end most of the way around the track, until Djelmane dropped out of contention in mid stretch allowing Madjani to go on to a 1 1/2 length win over late-running Al Saourdi. The running time was 2:16.22 . It was 4 1/4 lengths back to Velte in third. Winning rider Willie Supple said, "I was really impressed with this fellow when I won on him at Abu Dhabi although he was beaten on his dirt debut. He was better drawn today and he was always travelling like a winner." There was no betting on this race in North America.